1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a telephone number display apparatus for storing a plurality of telephone numbers and displaying these telephone numbers in display areas divided in correspondence with a predetermined number of telephone numbers and, more particularly, to a telephone number display apparatus for facilitating to confirm the telephone number in each display area.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As a technique associated with a telephone number display apparatus of this type, a technique is described in, e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 62-294352 in which switches constituted by a touch panel and telephone numbers are electronically displayed in the order of use frequencies. The Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 62-294352 discloses a multifunction telephone set which reads out a plurality of telephone numbers and the use frequencies of these telephone numbers from a storing means in accordance with a designation signal output by touching the touch panel, and displays the telephone numbers on an electronic display means in the order of use frequencies.
In the conventional telephone number display apparatuses, including the apparatus described in the above prior art, the telephone numbers displayed on the display unit are arranged in the order of use frequencies. For this reason, the order may change every time a telephone number is read out to make call origination. As a result, to search a target telephone number in a telephone number list consisting of similar numerals and data, telephone numbers must be confirmed one by one, resulting in an increase in time required for searching and confirmation.
When telephone numbers on the display screen are to be moved at a high speed by scrolling the telephone numbers, the position of the displayed telephone numbers must be set to the first, the last, or the intermediate one of the registered and arranged telephone numbers at only the start or end of scrolling. Therefore, determination during the movement of the telephone numbers by scrolling is difficult.